Traditional Internal Medicine Residency Training Program
Yale Internal Medicine Traditional Program
Welcome to the Traditional Internal Medicine Residency Training Program. Our mission is eloquently stated in the welcome from our Chairman.
We are pleased to offer both a Categorical and a Preliminary program. It is strongly suggested you read the following summaries and goals:
- Common Goals for both Categorical and Preliminary Programs
- Goals of the Categorical Program
- Goals of the Preliminary Program
You are also encouraged to check this website and the special links to some very interesting opportunities, most of which are truly unique to our Program such as:
- International Health Elective
- Writers’ Workshop
- Research-in-Residency Program
- ABIM’s Research Pathway (“short track”)
- Investigative Medicine Program (opportunity to obtain PhD through fellowship in basic science research or clinical investigation)
- Robert Wood Johnson Scholars Program in Clinical Investigation
The Traditional Program runs both a Categorical (3 years) and a Preliminary (1 year) program, the specific goals for each are stated below:
Common Goals for both Categorical and Preliminary Programs:
- The overarching goal for residency training is to prepare each resident with a solid grounding in internal medicine in an environment that strongly fosters intellectual curiosity and a spirit of inquiry. It is hoped that, in the years ahead, upon this firm foundation will arise a glorious edifice designed and sculpted by the personal dreams and ambitions of each resident, irrespective of whether those dreams involve the enhancement of further knowledge through research in the basic sciences or clinical investigation, or in the provision of outstanding care to patients in general internal medicine or in one of its subspecialties, or in the case of those in our Preliminary Program, in the specialties of their choice.
- Our program is crafted with the recognition that while residents’ career goals may vary widely and that knowledge acquired in training will indubitably be in need of continuous updating, a core set of ideas, skills and values acquired during residency training will form the basis for future enrichment and change. In the fulfillment of this purpose, the Program commits itself to creating in each of its residents an enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to challenge dogma through a logical analysis of available clinical and scientific information no matter the career path a resident ultimately decides to pursue.
- The premise underlying the experience provided during training is one of giving the physician trainee graded responsibility. Thus, the intern (PGY-1 resident) is considered to be the patient's primary physician. He or she develops a therapeutic plan, writes orders, and makes decisions about the patient's care. In these activities there is careful supervision in the inpatient arena by a second year (PGY-2) or a third year (PGY-3) resident and by a faculty Attending Physician. In the outpatient experience, supervision is provided directly by an Attending Physician. As the resident progresses in the training program, supervision decreases and responsibilities expand. For the internship year this holds true equally for the Categorical Intern as well as the Preliminary Intern; the intern gradually gaining more confidence and independence as the year progresses.
Goals of the Categorical Program
- The Categorical Program requires 3 years of training in general internal medicine, except for those who choose to avail themselves of the Research Pathway (“short track”) of the American Board for Internal Medicine. The Yale Internal Medicine Residency Program strongly supports those residents interested in this pathway. Those opting for the Research Pathway move on to fellowship training in the subspecialty of their choice or to research in general internal medicine if that is their choice, after the completion of two years of general internal medicine residency training. Click here for additional information about the ABIM Research Pathway.
- By the completion of the third year of training every resident is in a position to function autonomously. In general, the level of training of a resident determines the amount of autonomy granted, but specifically for individual residents at the same level of training, the acquisition of autonomy is also dependent on the individual resident’s abilities in the function for which autonomy is being sought.
- We firmly believe that outstanding clinical training in residency forms the kernel for a future career in internal medicine or one of its subspecialties, irrespective of whether the career follows the path of research in the scientific basis of medicine, in clinical investigation or in clinical practice.
- We aim to train future leaders in Internal Medicine and its subspecialties, without regard to whether that leadership role is exercised at the local community level, nationally or internationally.
Goals of the Preliminary Program
- The Preliminary Program provides residents with one year of training in Internal Medicine as a prerequisite for starting training in the specialty of their choice, such as anesthesiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, psychiatry, radiology, radiation oncology, etc.
- We firmly believe that our one year Preliminary interns are every bit a part of our family as are our Categorical interns. We take pride in assuring our Preliminary interns that their needs and requirements, both academic and personal, are as important to us as those of our Categorical interns. We value the emphasis placed on preliminary training in internal medicine demanded by the specialties mentioned above and it is our goal to provide the most valuable experience possible. Consequently we believe that the training should reflect virtually no substantive differences between the Preliminary and Categorical programs.
- The few salient differences between the two Programs are:
- The Preliminary Interns do not have a Continuity clinic, as they are in the Program for only one year. They however do have the same Ambulatory non-call 4 week rotation at the V. A., which as mentioned in the section on Ambulatory Education and is a truly outstanding exposure to outpatient medicine.
- The Categorical interns have more intensive care unit rotations, including separate MICU and CCU rotations. We believe that the needs of Preliminary interns are best served in an intensive care setting that provides a shorter intensive unit rotation that includes the care of cardiac patients and general intensive care unit patients, including those patients with cerebrovascular accidents. We are able to provide such a unique experience at our Primary Care Program site at the Waterbury Hospital. Thus, in place of the separate rotations in the MICU and CCU that total 8 to 10 weeks for our Categorical interns, our Preliminary interns receive only 4 weeks comprehensive intensive care unit experience of the kind described above.
- The Preliminary Interns have two elective rotations in place of one that our categorical interns have.
